Everything Old is New Again

April 2, 2009

Welcome back to THINK!  For this week’s installment, I wanted to discuss a topic that is of particular interest to me: urban renewal.  A few days ago, I was forwarded an article from the New York Times by a good friend of mine.  To summarize, the article was about four American cities and the battles that are being fought to reinvent them.  I found the article particularly timely, as it addressed the need to modernize and develop the aging infrastructure of these cities and the stimulus-backed programs that could be used to support redevelopment efforts.

Now, to be honest, I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to topics like this.  I get really excited about the importance of infrastructure and public works projects to establish and maintain the efficiency and diversity that [most] cities offer.  Growing up in a town of 2,000 in central Wisconsin and now living in Manhattan, I’ve experienced both environments.  I’m not saying that one is better than the other, but simply that they’re completely different monsters.

I really feel that now is the time to resolve some of the issues that hinder the places for which this country is known.  Today, the technology is available to create dense, urban cities while sustaining natural resources and maintaining the beauty that lies in the built environment.  It is important that changes are indeed well-planned improvements, right down do the details and materials that compose the facade.  

Cladding materials like Trespa have made it possible to combine many different qualities like durability, cleanliness, ease of installation, and fire resistance which contribute to the success of buildings.  The fabric of the city no longer needs to be built of brick and stone to achieve these safety standards.  Now buildings can be as diverse and colorful as the people that inhabit them.

Many ideas of the past are reemerging in the concepts of new urbanism and historic preservation, but is it necessary to utilize the practices of the past directly, or is it acceptable to translate them without altering the concept?

If you have an opinion on the topic, I would appreciate hearing from you, especially on the following points:

What qualities or amenities do successful cities possess that are lacking in unsuccessful ones?

Are there any recent technological advances to improve cities that are particularly exciting?

Whose job should it be to make improvements?  Private developers?  Government institutions? 

Please email all responses or questions to z.brewster@trespa.com